Blower-fan case for thrashers



L. J. MLLER BLOWER FAN CASE FOR THRASHERS Filed Nov. 24, 19,24

Patented May 18, 1926.

narrate srarss LARKIN JOHN MILLER, 01 REA, MISSOURI.

BLOWER-FAN CASE FOR THRASHERS.

Application filed November 24,1924. Serial No. 751,850.

This invent-ion relates to fan blowers for straw stackers, and has for its object to produce a device which shall insure continuous travel in a stream of straw fed to it by a thrasher regardless of the character or condition of the straw. More specifically the object is to produce a fan which has socalled. screw-feed blades for forcing straw into the fan casing in a continuous and substantially uniform stream, and discharge blades shaped to centralize the mass of straw in the casing, the continuous as distinguished from irregular feeding, and the centralization of the straw in the casing, cooperating to guard against the possibility V of choking of the fan and thenecessity of occasional stoppage of operations for removing clogging straw.

The advantage of continuous operation is very desirable as it not only reduces the cost of thrashing and stacking, but relieves the power mechanism and driving connections of strains incident to sudden excessive re sistance due to chokage of the fan, and hence guards against injury to and lengthens the period of service of the power transmission elements, and minimizes the wear on the bearings of the shafts and the like.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side View of a fan embodying the invention, the fan casing and a portion of the communicating chute being partly broken away and illustrated in section.

Figure 2 is an end view of the fan.

Figure 3 is a rear View of the fan.

Figure 4 is a fragmental perspective view of the fan to more clearly illustrate its construction.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the Figures, 1 indicates the hub portion of a blower fan from which radially project a plurality of curved, concave-faced arms or fan blades 2 (four only being illustrated). The hub 1, at one of its ends, is prolonged and expanded to form a projecting cone 3 provided with spirally arranged ribs l forming a conveyor, said ribs corresponding in number to the number of blades 2, each of said splral portions merging lnto its respective fan blade 2 at the inner end of the latter, the parts being so arranged that the straw is fed inwardly by the conveyor to the inner end of the blades.

The hub 1 and cone 3 are formed with a central opening and are keyed on one end of a drive shaft 5 having a drive pulley 6, said shaft being suitably mounted in bearings 7 carried by the thrasher. The fan is mounted within a cylindrical casing 8 having a central side opening communicating with a receiving chute 9 down which the straw after being thrashed is projected by the mechanism of the thrasher. It will be noted that the spiral cone projects into the chute 9 and is adapted to pick up and convey the straw to the blades 2 by which it is propelled outwardly through a radial dis charge tube 10, as common in the art.

It is to be'noted that each of the fan blades is formed integrally with a flange or guard 11 at its inner end to guard against any tendency the straw may have to clog by jamming against the back wall. of the easing 8.

In the operation of a fan blower embodying the invention, it is found that the spiral conveyor will pick up the straw propelled down the chute 9 and will evenly feed it into the blades of the fan, whose concave faces will centralize the straw and prevent it packing forcibly with the front and rear walls of the casing, and will thus lessen the friction and tendency of the straw to become clogged or jammed in the casing. The curved shape of the blades, reverse to that of the direction of rotation of the fan, as

indicated by the arrows in Figures 2 and 3,

will give each individual fan blade a sufficient length of time to throw off by centrifugal force, all of its burden of straw, before the extremity of the blade has passed beyond the limits of the discharge tube OPGIHDO'.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a device of the character described which possesses the features of advantage pointed out as desirable, and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes or modifications properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a cylindrical fan casing having a central side opening and a )Gllplklfi discharge opening. 01 a chute 1 (line; to the side opening and a tube len ling' from the peripheral opening, and a tan in the casing having a spiral conveyor projOCl'll'lQ through the side opening: into the chute, the conveyor tapering to anoint from the inner ends of the blades of the fan.

2. The eonibinution with u Cjflllfljlliifil'filzi casing having a central side openingand 21, peripheral discharge ope i119; ofa chute leading to the side opening and tube leading from the peripheral opening and 5:11 in the (rising hai'ing a Spiral con\'-e foi' pronoting; through the si le o'ieniu'i' into the chute, said 'lun comprising plurulity of l blades bowed l ngitudinally and transvoitwly, the COD-.HYO tacos oi the hlmlen facing LARKIE JOHX MILLER. 

